Matrix-cleaning machine



Nov. 8, 1927.

. W. A. WENZEL ET AL MATRIX CLEANING MACHINE Filed Oct. 27, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENTOR:

Nov. s, 1927. y 1,648,794

- w. A. wENzEL ET A1.

MATRIX CLEANING MACHINE Filed Oct. 27, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 8, 1927. 1,648,794

w. A. wENzEL ET A1.

MATRIX CLEANING MACHINE Filed OCT.. 27, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 J%. l 3/ 755% )a ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

i WILLIAM A. WENZEL AND GEORGE J. RANI'JLE, OF PHILADELPHIA., PENNSYLVANIA.

MATRIX-CLEANING MACHINE.

Application filed October 27, 1924.

Qur invention relates to a new and useful machine for cleaning the various surfaces of the metallic matrices commonly employed in linotype machines, intertype machines, and other similar' type setting machines which cast type slugs, and it relates more particularly to a machine adapted to clean each of the six surfaces of such matrices by positive means7 such as buffer rollers acting on pairs of opposite surfaces in succession.

The matrices commonly used in linotype machines and the like. very frequently become corroded and clogged with foreign matter on the surfaces thereof, so as to make` the further use of these matrices impracticable and difficult. Matrices of this character have heretofore been cleaned manually and individually, that is each piece separately, and each surface thereof cleaned in dividually by means of a brush, and a clean ing solution. This involved considerable expense and time, and hence added greatly to the cost of operating the linotype machines, since as a rule the matrices had to be cleaned after every second or third oper-` ation.

By our novel machine we eliminate the manual cleaning of these matrices, which are used so extensively and in such large quantitics in the linotype industry, and provide means whereby such matrices may bc cleaned quickly and cheaply and in an automatic manner without the use of any manual labor, other than that required to feed the matrices to the machine and remove the same in the cleaned condition.

lith the above ends in view, our invention consists of three pairs or sets of buffer rollers rotatably mounted with proper relation to each other. driven positively through suitable means and adapted to encounter successively the side edges, the end edges, and finally the opposed flat surfaces of the individual matrices. and means to positively feed said matrices through and between said successive sets or pairs of buer rollers. and means to remove the same into a receiving chamber in the cleaned condition.

Our invention further consists of a novel .shifting mechanism adapted to change the direction of travel of the matrices so as to pass the same through and between the last set of buffer rollers so as to clean the flat surfaces thereof.

For the purpose of illustrating our invention we have shown in the accompanyingr Serial No. 746,002.

drawings forms thereof, which are at present preferred by us, since they have been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which our invention consists, can be variously arranged and organized and that our invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Fig. l, represents a plan view of a matrix cleaning machine embodying our invention.

Fig. 2. represents a section on line 2 2 Fig. l.

Fig. 3, represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4, represents al front elevation of the machine.

Fig. 5, represents a right side elevation of the machine.

Fig. 6, represents a left side elevation of the machine.

Fig. 7, represents a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8, represents a sectional view on an enlarged scale of an auxiliary extension shaft.

Fig. 9, represents a section on line 9 9, Fig. S.

Referring to the drawings l designates an elongated receiving pan extending the length of the machine, and having al bottom 2 and side walls 3 and 4, into which pan the matrices are originally placed in the condition in which they are received from the linotype machines. 5 designates a pusher or feeding ram. carried by the ram rod 6 passing through the end Wall 7 of the receiving pan l. and having a helical tension spring S loperatively interposed between the end 9 thereof and the wall 7, urging said ram 5 forward. in the direction of the arrow i6 shown in Figure l. The matrices are placed in the receiving pan l cdgewise. in front of the ram block by withdrawing the ram 5 against the tension of the spring S. and placing the matrices 1l as shown in Figures l and 2. with the type face downwardly. lVhcn the space between the ram, in the withdrawn position. and the first set of edge buffers 12 and 13. is filled. thc machine is ready for operation. In order to permit the tilling of the receiving pan i. more readily and without interference by the bilder rollers l2 and 13. there is provided a shutter 14 adapted to slide in are'driven through suitable lgears 'described hereinafter. y

"Each ofthe side edge'bulf'er rollers 12 aiidl 13 liasthree butling surfaces 15, 16 and 17,"

through the wall 3, in thereceiving pan 11 thereby retaining' the matrices stationary against the tendency of the ram block to force the .saine in between the buff-er rollers 12 and 13. lli/*hen the machine is thus ready for operation the slide 14 is withdrawn into the position shown in Figure 1. The buffers 12 and 13 revolve against the oncoming matrices 11 as indicated in Figures 5 and 6, and

I 'thesurfaces 15 and 16 adapted to engage'.

' buff andclean the toes 13' and ears 19 of" i th'eniat'rices, while the buffing' surfaces 17':

areladapte'd to engage and' clean the del 'pressed portions 2O of the edges of the mat# rices, between said toes 13 and ears 19.

Thefbuffer' roller 12'cleans the upper toes "an'd'ears 13 and 19, well as the depressed portion 2O between the saine, while thelowerz buffer roller 13 buffs and cleans the corre-` yspondinglower toes and ears 1S and 19, and

the type edge 21, leaving, however the type face proper 22, unaffected by the builinuV action, thereby avoidingany wear, abrasion or injury ofthe type face 22, 1n order to ypermit a slight adjustment rof the relative 'distance between the upper and'lower sideV edge butter rollers 12 and 13, so as to take 'car'e of any slight wear on said'buffcrs, one of the buffer spindles 23 and 24, preferably however the upper spindle 23, is mounted in (ill I jadjustal'ile:bearing` blocks 25 "and 26, and is provided with adjustment screws 27.A As the buffers 12 and 13 wear and thereby increase gears and 31; the vertical shafts 23 and 29 being' in turn driven through the horizontal shafts 32 gears 34 and 35. The horizontal shafts 32 and 33 are driven from a common main driving shaft 36, through the bevel `gears 3T and 33. The main driving' shaft 36` extending transversely across the machine,r as shown particularly in Figures 1 and 4, is provided with a pulley 39 adapted for belt drive, as well as with a crank handle 40, adapted` for the manual operation of thc machine. ported in apair of suitable bearing blocks or frame members 41 and 42, while the bnlferrollers 12 and; 13 and the corresponding vertical drive shafts 23 and 29 are supported by a vertical frame member 53 which also supports the receiving pan 1, as shown parm ticularly in Figure 2.`

as will be' cleaned on the fiat `surfaces thereof.

`tion 'of motion of Vthe matrices, at a 'righi anc through similar bevel ln order toeifectively buff 'and clean the end edges 44 and 45 of the matrices, we provide a set or pair of end edge buffers 46 and 47 respectively, mounted kor carried by the vertical buffer spindles 43 and 49, rotatably mounted in the hangers or bearings 50 and 51, and carried by the frame members 43 and 52 respectively. rlflie spindles` 43 and 49 are driven in the direction of the arrows 53, alsoagainst the oncoming' matrices, shown Vparticularly in Figure 1, b v means of the bevel gears 54 and 55, from the horizontal drive-shafts 32and described hereinbefore." The-matrices, having passed through the'two sets of buffer rollers 12 and 13, and 46 Vand 47 respectively, due to the action of the-rain orare nowrready to be buffcd and la order topermit the bul'hna' of the flat sur- Jfaces bypassing the individual matrices through *and between the buffer rollers 54 'andl55, it is necessary to change the direc- 'angle t'o the original movement thereof, namely it is necessary to remove each matrix individually from the aligned staclr or group being fed forward in the receiving pan 1, and vto feed said individual matrix transversely across the machine and through and between the butling rollers 54 and This individual transverse feeding movement of each individual matrix, is accomplished by means of ay shifting1 mechanism to be described hereinafter', adapted to engage each individual matrix successively, in the order or `sequence in which they are moved forward inthe pan l1, `to remove such individual n'iatricesvfrom the group or stacl; in the receiving pani, to positively feed and slide said individual matrices through the [buffer rollers 54 and revolving counter to thc movement of the matrix, in the direction of the arr-ow 56 shown `in, Figure 1, and to move the matrix thus engaged, into the second or delivery pan 5?, parallel to the pan 1 where the cleaned matricesrare gathered for suhsequentl removal. i

The surface buffers 54- ant` 5u carried by the spindles 58 and are rotatably mounts ed i'n thestationary bearing` bloelr 60, and the tioating or movable bear-ino bloeit 61. carried by the sliding arms 62, md slidably secured tol the stationary bearing block 66,

by Jmeanslof thestuds 463 sliding within the guide slots 64. The floating; bearing' bloei; 60 is also yieldably enn'agrcd by a helical tension spring entendi ,o between and secured to thestationary bearing` blocks 66 and said floating: block 61. vto 'thereby yield--v `ably 'draw and urge said floating` bearing block 61'.l and hence the floating` surface buffer roller=54 towards the stationffirw,T bearine blocks 60, and hence toward the station ary buffer roller o5.

Thepurpose of the floating bearing block liti titl

61, and the corresponding floating surface butter roller 54, is toy provide a variable clearance between the two butter rollers d and 55, so as to take care oi" the matrices ol' varying thicknesses, such as are encountered in linotype machines, nameiy to take care of the matrices of the various letters of the alphabet, which must. necessarily be of di'l ferent thicknesses depending on the particular letter.

The surface butter rollers and are driven by means of bevel gears 6G, 6T, 69 and 69 respectively. The spindle 59, through the bevel gears (i8 and G9 is driven direc ty from the horizontal shaft 33, while the spindle 58, through the bevel gears GG and 6T, is driven from an auxiliary horizontally extending shaft 70, rotatably mounted in the bearing block and driven from the horizontal shaft 3S by means of the spur gears T1 and TQ.

The auxiliary shaft T0 is split. as shown in Figure 8, the two ends 73 and Ti being connected by means of a sleeve T5, which is fixedly secured to the end 7i, and slides treelv on the squared end T3. as indicated in the sectional view in Figure 9.

rliev helical compression spring is interposed'between the two ends 73 and T4, so as to urge the end 'T3 forward in the direction of the arrow 77, thereby forcing the bevell gear 0G into engagement with the movable or floating bevel gear 6T, carried by the movable floating spindle 5S. As the movable, or Vfloating bearing` 61 and butter 51, oscillate to and fro a slight amount, to take up the difference in the thickness of the various matrices, the bevel gear G9 follows the bevel gear (ST. urged by the compression spring 7G.

rl`he shifting mechanism mentioned hereinbefore provided for the purpose of removing the individual matrices from the receiving pan l, at a right angle to the original line of travel, consists chiefly of the vertical movable finger 7S, shown particularlyv in `lt`igiiies 3. 5 and G, carried by the horizontally extending arm 'T9 forming part of the vertical slide S9, which is slidably mounted in dovetailed slides or guides S1 and 82. The dovetailed vertical slide 80. supported by the guides Si, and S2, is in turn carried by the hoiizontal sliding carriage 9?), mounted for transverse sliding movement or travel, on the guide way Si. as shown in Figures 5 and The horizontal transverse carriage S?) is provided with guides S5 and 96 rigidly secured thereto or torined integral therewith,

which are adapted to travel in the guide slots or runways S7 and SS respectively. The hearing block or frame member l2 also car ries a shaft 89. which is driven from the tion of the periphery thereof, and carrying a crank pin 91, properly located onsaid cam wheel with respect to the cam surface 93. The connecting` rod 95, mounted on the crank pin 94 at one end, and on the pin or stud 9G, carried by the transverse horizontal carriage 83, at the other end thereof, so vinterconnects the crank pin 941 with the horizontal transverse carriage S3, as to give said transverse carriage 83, and hence the vertical slide and linger TS, a reciprocating transverse movement or travel, between the two pans 1 and 57 respectively.

`The veritcal slide 80, urged dowi'iwardly by the helical tension spring 9T, is adapted to be raised periodically by a cam 9S, pivotally mounted at 99, on the transverse carriage 83. The cam 98 is provided with an eccentric cam surface 100, and is normally in the horizontal position shown in Figure et. with the, lower edge 101 of the vertical slide 80, resting against the edge 102 of said cam. When the transverse carriage 83 is drawn to the extreme right position of its travel (Figure i) by the crank pin 94 and connecting rod 95, the inclined edge 103 ot said cam 99, encounters a correspondingly inclined edge 10ft of a stationary cani 106, tired to the frame of the machine, as shown in Figure et, thereby deflecting the edge 103 downwardly so as to revolve the cam 98 clockwise into a vertical position, thereby causing the eccentric camming surface 100 to raise the vertical slide 80 into its upper position, against the tension of the spring 97.

1When in this raised position the finger 78 (Fig. 3) is clear of the top of the toes and ears 18 and 19, of the matrix 11,` Due to the Hat portion of the cam surfaces 100, the slide 80 resting against said straight or flat portion, is retained in the raised position, until the transverse carriage orI slide 83 travels back to the extreme left position of its path of travel, in which position the tinger 7S is above and in vertical alignment with the central portion Q0 of the matrix in the receiving pan l. lVhen, however, the transverse carriage 83 reaches the extreme left position ot' its travel, the edge 10T encounters a second stationary cam 10S having an inclined edge 109, which again detlects the am 98, revolving it counterclockwise into the horizontal position, thereby lowering the vertical slide 80 and hence the finger 7S, into the position shown in Figure 8, where tinger 78 rests on the depressed edge portion :20 of the matrix 1l. In this lowered or engaged position of the finger 78, the transverse slide S3 is withdrawn by the crank pin 94, to the right, causing it to carry with it the matrix 11 so enga-ged, and thereby forcing said matrix through and between the two buffer rollers 54 and 55, into the delivery pan 57. Thus the cycle of operations of the transverse slide 83 and rices through said lirstl two pairs of bu'er rollers, and means to guide and pass said matrices through the last pair ol' surface butler rollers.

In a device ot the character stated, a pair olZ side edge bull'er rollers, a pair ot end edge buffer rollers at right angles thereto, a pair of sur'lace buller roller., means to guide matrices through the lirst two pairs of butler rollers. means to urge said matrices through said lirst two pairs of buller rollers, and means to guide and pass said matrices through the last pair of sur-face butler rollers individually.

3. In a device ol the character stated, a receiving pan, a pair ot' side edge bulier rollers rotatably mounted above and below said pan, a pair of end edge butler rollers rotatably mounted and adjacent to the sides of said receiving pan, a delivery pan, means to shift individual matrices from the receiving pan to the delivery pan, and a pair of surface butler rollers located between said two pans and adapted to bulll the surlaccs of the individual matrices passing 'troni one pan to the other.

l. In a device of the character stated, a receiving pan, a delivery pan, a shitting finger slidably mounted lor transverse movement relative to said pans, means to move said shifting linger to and tro between said pans, means to raise and lower said shifting linger in synchronism with the shitting movement 0l said shitting linger, and an ejector cooperating with said shifting linger to remove the individual matrices from said receiving pan.

5. In a device of the character stated, a receiving pan, a delivery pan, a guide way disposed at a right angle to said pans, transverse carriage slidably mounted on said guide way, a vertical slide, slidably mounted on said transverse carriage, a shifting linger carried by said vertical slide, a pivoted lil'ting cam carried by said tra-nsvcrse carriage in operative alignment with said vertical slide, means to move said transverse carriage to and l'ro between the receiving and delivery pans, and stationary cams carried by the guide way at cach extreme position ol' the travel ol' said transverse carriage, adapted to lilit said vertical slide and said shifting linger when said linger has reached the limit ot' said travel to wards the delivery pan, and to lower said slide and said linger when said linger has reached the limit of its travel towards the receiving pan.

6. In a device of the character stated, a receiving pan, a delivery pan parallel thereto, an exit opening' in said receiving pan, and an entrance opening' in said delivery pan in alignment with each other, a pair ol' buli'er rollers located between said pans, and in operative alignment with said exit and entrance openings, and means to feed matrices to said exit opening in said receiving pan, and a jogger in said delivery pan adapted to move the matrices away from the entrance opening and means carried by said transverse carriage adapted to actuate said joggers periodically.

WILLIAM A. VVENZEL. GEORGE J. RANDLE. 

